C: Ellis- 435K

1B: Fielder: 18M (part of 8/180, breakdown: 18, 23, 24, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23)

2B: Ellis: 4.45M

3B: Figgins: 8M

SS: Gordon: 420K

RF: Jerry Sands: 420K

CF: Kemp: 15M (He just signed for 8/160, we don't have figures yet so I am assuming 16, 18, 21, 21, 21, 21, 21, 21)

LF: Juan Rivera:  4M

Total: 50,725,000

Rotation:

1.Kershaw: 8M, (part of 6/99 deal paid 8, 13, 18, 20, 20, 20)

2. Bilingsley: 9M

3. Kuroda: 11M, 1 year/11M

4. Lilly: 12M

5. Eovaldi: 420K

Total: 40,420,000

Bench:

C: Fed Ex: 425K

SS/2B/3B: Sellers: 420K

1B/RF/LF: Hoffman: 420K

OF/PR: Tony Gywnn Jr: 1M

SS/2B:DeJesus Jr: 425K

Total: 2.69M (counted both Sands and Rivera in lineup)

Bullpen:

CP: Kenley Jansen: 435K

RP: Javy Guerra: $420K

RP: Matt Guerrier: 4,750,000 

RP: Scott Elbert: 420K 

RP: Blake Hawksworth: 435K

RP: Josh Lindblom: 420K

Total: 122,757,432

Method to my madness:

Basically the first thing I did was to leave 1st base open. I wanted to see if I wanted to have Loney, Fielder, or someone else there. I filled out the rest of my lineup, including having Andre in RF. I got Figgins at 3B, saying there should be a trade of Uribe for Figgins, with the Mariners just making the money work. They need a lil pop, but can't afford the big bats, but also want to get rid of Figgins. It was reported today they would kick in money to make a deal. Some of the posters who have been here longer know that I was hoping for the Dodgers to sign him a few years ago as a FA and have always liked him.

Both the Ellis and Rivera deal killed my payroll, and made me have to get rid of Andre. I propose a deal to a contender who loses out on Fielder/Albert, but needs some offense. The deal will most likely not help out our team right now, but would hopefully give us a 3B prospect that could be ready soon.(I'm looking at you Miami). I'm still an Andre guy and he would be the first guy I'd add back to this team if I had room. With Fielder's deal, I have him down for a backloaded deal and I think he'd take it because of his friendship with Kemp and wanting to play with him for the next 8 years, guaranteed. Also, Kemp could potentially help keep him in shape as they can work out together.  

Kuroda gets resigned for a slightly lower price because the Dodgers pitch them trying to make a winning team as a whole. Ely serves as long man, could be Trevor Miller. If Belisario is finally able to pitch, he is my last man.

All Dodger players that have been asked in public about ownership issues have the same, collective answer. Very simply, they claim they aren't paying attention to it and just want to play ball. Subsequently, since Bud has taken over the Dodgers day-to-day operations, the Dodgers have been playing very good ball. 

So the question is why have the Dodgers started playing at such a high level. To this point, I have not heard anyone mention this possibility... the boys in blue are playing better for their NEXT owner. Hear me out here. They know how poorly McCourt has run the team for most of the player's entire tenure with the Dodgers. So wouldn't the team, when they finally get a glimmer of hope that McCourt is going to be gone, jump at the opportunity to show their next owner this team can win, and soon? Just an idea... maybe the players are on the issue more than we think.

Everybody and their brother has now heard about Selig taking over the Dodgers, rather hastily some may claim. As most Dodger fans will say, no one really cares if Selig should or should not have done so. The Dodgers were one of the most storied franchises in the game, and Frank McCourt nearly destroyed the franchise. However, the team has a solid core of young players who need just a few more pieces before they can fully rise to the top.

Interestingly enough, those pieces may not necessarily be on the field. If you haven't figured it out by now, the piece I am talking about is the owner. Frank McCourt is basically out the door. Even though behind a paywall, Buster Olney feels that McCourt will not sue because of his shortness of cash and the history of the courts standing up for the league's decisions. That would seemingly lead to MLB's role being closer to that of which it had with the Rangers last year, eventually facilitating a sale, rather than the Expos of the 90s. 

So now the discussion goes to who will be the next owner? It was reported that the Brewers owner, and Dennis Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox, could potentially be buyers. So far, however, the Brewer's owner Mark Attanasio has shot down any interest, as has the Athletic's owner and the Red Sox chairman. Who is left you may ask? Mark Cuban has not commented yet on the situation, Alec Gores had reportedly been interested in the past. Gores quickly shot down the rumor in January, but the story also listed an interesting person.... Joe Torre. Torre managed the team for the last few years before he retired and his protege with the Yankees is the current manager in LA. Torre would need to be part of a investment group to make it work, but it was always said Torre would one day want to be an owner.

Who else do you think will be interested? One thing the new owner will like to hear, both Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp went on the record today and said they want to remain in LA for the long term. 

True Blue LA is SB Nation's Dodger blog. Over the last few weeks, Brandon Lennox, the communities' prospect expert, conducted a vote of the community through multiple fanposts. The results are as follows:

The next five were Brian Cavazos-Galvez, James Baldwin, Javier Solano, Joc Pederson, and Josh Lindblom. Brandon calculated:

Overall, the TBLA top 20 prospects breaks down by position as follows: 10 right handed pitchers, 4 outfielders, 2 shortstops, 2 left handed pitchers, 1 second baseman, and 1 outfielder/first baseman.  Of the 12 pitchers, 9 are still considered full time starters, one (Eovaldi) could be either a starter or reliever, and 2 are full time relievers. 

Also, when you break down the group by how they were acquired by the Dodgers, you’ll notice that 12 were drafted as high school players, 6 were drafted as college players, and 2 were signed as international free agents.  In addition, the youngest player of the group is Jonathan Garcia, who just barely turned 19 last week, and the oldest player is Scott Elbert.

He concluded that the team's system would rank in the 10-15 range of baseball. It is known that BA's list will not look similar to this list, so how would your list compare? Where do you rank the system?

Wait, what? Yes, surprisingly, the Dodgers were able to convince Lopes to come back and be a coach. Many fans had hoped for Lopes to take over the first base spot, but expected his price to be too great for the Dodgers to be able to afford. All fans know of Lopes' success in LA as a olayer and it seems that he is going to come back. The tweet by Dylan Hernandez

I'm told Davey Lopes is close to joining the #Dodgers' coaching staff.

does not say his role, but it has been expected that he'd become the first base coach, if he joined the Dodgers. He was part of a successful Philly running game, which was something the Dodgers lacked last season.

*NOTE* If this has been covered, sorry. I haven't been home much today and haven;t looked at the threads.

I posted a fanpost and poll on True Blue LA, a SB Nation Dodger blog, a few days ago questioning Dodger fans who they felt the best arm in the system was. I said they should consider arm strength, how they have performed, potential, age and stuff  they have at that age, and the likelyhood they reach said potential. Out of 100 votes in the poll, 44 of the votes were for Rubby De La Rosa, 22 for Zach Lee, 16 for Chris Withrow, 5 for both Ethan Martin and Allen Webster, and the final 8 votes were split among Aaron Miller, Josh Wall, Garrett Gould, and one 'other'(another pitcher besides the ones I have listed along with Matt Magill and Ralston Cash).

Some brief info about the top vote getters from TBLA:

Rubby De La Rosa- Born 3/4/89, 3.19 ERA in A ball in 59.1 innings, 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9. Promoted to AA, 25 innings, 0.36 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9. Stuff is described as bowling ball fastball that reaches 100MPH as a starter, a great change and curve(via Dejon Watson). Groundball pitcher.

Zach Lee- Bonus says a lot. He is 18(will be 19 on September 13th), 6'4, 190 with room to grow, low 90s FB, above average change and above average curve/slider.

Chris Withrow- #1 pitching prospect last year. Fastball has reached 99 as a starter. Has a curve but has not mastered control of it, and therefore he has stumbled in AA. 6.08 ERA in 111 innings, 8.5 K/9, 4.9 BB/9. Has been compared to Billingsley in size and makeup, but his control has really hurt him in his first stint in AA. Turned 21 on April 1st. 

Ethan Martin- Similar to Withrow, except a stage behind. He is a young, raw powerhouse with great potential, but his control and inconsistency has lead to a rough statistical year for Martin. In A+ ball, 6.05 ERA, 108.2 innings, 8.3 K/9, 6.0 BB/9. Turned 21 on June 6th.

Allen Webster- Fastball and changeup combo is one of the best in the system. Groundball pitcher. In A ball, 2.83 ERA in 114.1 innings, 7.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9. Won't be 21 until February 10th.

The poll will have the ten names I listed above, along with an 'other' option. If you choose the 'other' option, could you please say the pitcher you prefer over the others?

Gotta love what the McCourts will do, huh? Frank's attorney's have admitted that they provided an incorrect document that said that Frank had sole ownership of the Dodgers. A split ownership of the Dodgers, and the assumption that Jaime and Frank won't work together, will lead to the court being forced to sell the most valuable asset... the Dodgers.

Jamie McCourt's attorneys say they located an agreement that shows she has an equal right in the ownership of the Dodgers and that it will dramatically alter a bitter struggle for the team.

McCourt's attorneys filed a motion Thursday asking a judge to allow them to introduce copies of the newly discovered agreement from 2004 between her and estranged husband Frank McCourt.

The filing states the agreements — which Jamie McCourt's attorneys contend correctly spell out the ownership issue — were uncovered after forensic analysis of other documents filed in the couple's divorce fight.

The filing states Frank McCourt's Massachusetts attorneys have admitted they provided the wrong document, one conferring sole ownership of the Dodgers to him.

His attorney, Stephen Susman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft is done and the Dodgers snatched one of the top HS arms in the draft. However, the Dodgers have plenty of top arms in the minors. There are the guys who are breaking out(Rubby De La Rosa and Aaron Miller) or the guys who have the 'skys the limit' potential(Chris Withrow and Ethan Martin). So who is best arm? This is not only potential, but the likely hood they reach said potential. I encourage everyone to consider the age of the pitcher and the likelyhood they improve(for example, it is likely that Zach Lee would gain some velocity as he fills out his 6'4 frame).

I will include a poll, but I'm curious to see lists of where guys rank. Do not include guys in the majors, but you can include recent signees.

We are done. The teams have signed every pick they can and now it is time to reflect. So, who won? Who was the biggest winner? Off the top of my head, I think some of the big winners include the Nationals, Pirates and Dodgers. I know they aren't the only big winners, so what other teams were big winners? Which team was the biggest loser?

Let's try to get a consensus top and bottom team...

Once again via Dylan Hernandez. In a lone tweet at 4:40 pm PCT, he says that Lee is not at LSU practice because he is meeting with the Dodgers:

RT @DerekPonamsky: I have confirmed that LSU QB Zach Lee is not at this afternoon's practice because family meeting with reps from Dodgers

He also has four different updates on Joc's negotiations:

Joc Pederson passed his physical. His deal with the #Dodgers is official.

Just talked to Pederson. He said he was already packed and ready to go to USC. Was planning to drive down to L.A. on Wednesday.

Pederson said the #Dodgers made him a late offer that changed his mind

Pederson will report to Arizona on Wednesday. #Dodgers

Dylan Hernandez is at it again. In two separate tweets, Hernandez says that the Dodgers offered Joc a contract yesterday, but he rejected it. Also, Lee's negotiations won't be affected by Joc's, and vice-versa. Good news on both fronts.

The #Dodgers have resumed talks with 11th-round pick Joc Pederson, who rejected an offer from them yesterday.

Hearing Pederson negotiations won't affect Lee and that Lee negotiations won't affect Pederson. #Dodgers

According to Dylan Hernandez, yes. In a pair of tweets, he says that rival agents feel that the Dodgers are making an real attempt at signing Lee. Opinions on if this will get it down? Is it too much? Would it be a great deal if it happens? If it does, I guess people weren't kidding when they said Logan White can do anything...

Rival agents think #Dodgers will offer Zach Lee somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 million...

... at least one of them thinks that might be enough to get it done. Take that for what it's worth.

John has started his re-look at team's top prospects for half way through the year over at minorleagueball,com. While he has yet to post the Dodger list, he says they are next.  Here is the list that he produced December 26th... Lets see what the TBLA community thinks the list should like now,,,

1) Dee Gordon, SS, Grade B+: Terrific '09 season in the Midwest League. Tremendous tools, especially speed, but needs to polish defense. Plate discipline at higher levels may also be an issue, but overall I love this guy.

2) Chris Withrow, RHP, Grade B+: Needs to improve his command, but stuff is excellent and he was rather inexperienced for the California League. If he lowers the walks and stays healthy, has number one/two potential, but they really need to give him time to sharpen his control and gain experience.

3) Ethan Martin, RHP, Grade B: Similar to Withrow: great fastball/curveball combo, has dominance potential but needs to sharpen control.

4) Aaron Miller, LHP, Grade B: Ceiling isn't quite as high as Martin and Withrow, but I like his combination of athleticism, stuff, and better-than-anticipated pitchability.

5) Josh Lindblom, RHP, Grade B: Hard sinking fastball/curveball combo should work very well in relief, could be a closer eventually.

6) Scott Elbert, LHP, Grade B-: Power lefty stuff is very attractive, but command and durability issues keep him from a higher grade in my opinion. Dodgers fans are really in love with him.

7) Andrew Lambo, OF, Grade B-: I think he's better than he looked last year, doesn't turn 22 until August, could put up huge numbers in Albuquerque thin air. I don't think he'll be a star but I can see him as a solid player. People were too enthusiastic about him entering '09 and are probably too negative entering '10.

8) Garrett Gould, RHP, Grade B-: Hard-throwing athletic high school pitcher could follow in the footsteps of Withrow and Martin.

9) Ivan DeJesus, Jr, SS, Grade B-: Down one notch due to lost injury season, will have to see how the recovery goes, won't stand in Gordon's way in the long run but should have a good career.

10) Allen Webster, RHP, Grade C+: Another high-ceiling young arm, greatly improved his command in 2009.

11) Trayvon Robinson, OF, Grade C+: Toolsy outfielder had breakthrough season repeating the California League. Want to see him repeat this against better competition before I buy in completely.

12) Kenley Jansen, RHP, Grade C+: Catcher conversion drawing notice this fall/winter with 8527 MPH fastball. Not really, but you'd expect that given the hype he's already getting. Let's see if he can throw strikes.

13) Nate Eovaldi, RHP, Grade C+: Dodgers fans like him a lot more than this, but his performance has not lived up to scouting reports yet. Command issues hold him back from higher ranking for me.

14) Kyle Russell, OF, Grade C+: Loads of power, can steal a base, draws walks, also struck out 180 times as a college player in the Midwest League. Left-handed-hitting Rob Deer?

15) Brett Wallach, RHP, Grade C+: The Dodgers love bloodlines. I like the scouting reports about Wallach but we need a larger sample size. 

16) Jonathan Garcia, OF, Grade C+: Toolsy outfielder from Puerto Rico did well in the Arizona Rookie League, showing more polish than expected, though he'll need to show plate discipline at higher levels.

17) Lucas May, C, Grade C: Made progress with the bat, but he was repeating the level and defense is still an issue with 20 passed balls in 65 games.

18) Xavier Paul, OF, Grade C: Season ruined by injuries. I still think he can be a solid fourth/fifth outfielder.

19) Tony Delmonico, C, Grade C: I like his bat, but he needs more work behind the plate.

20) Pedro Baez, 3B, Grade C: Still has the impressive power potential, but lots of problems with the strike zone.

In Jesse's fanpost earlier today, there was a minor conversation started about the ages of posters here. Because I assume some don't want to post their age in a comment, I feel this is a better way to do it... a poll! I am thinking of doing it starting at 15(a year under my current age, in case there is a commentator younger than me) to 19, to cover the teenagers in one category, and then 5 year intervals after that. If you choose, you can post your age in the comments, or simply click the poll. Lets see how diverse the community is...

Sounds crazy, but hear me out. Buster Olney has reported that the Nats have put Dunn on waivers. The waiver claims go from worst to best record. If a commenter on MLBTR is correct, this is the order for Dunn:

Pittsburgh, Arizona, Cubs, (Washington), Houston, Milwaukee, Mets, Marlins, Dodgers, Rockies, Phillies, Cardinals, Reds, Braves, Giants, Padres, Orioles, Mariners, Royals, Indians, Tigers, Angels, A's, B-Jays, Twins, Red Sox, White Sox, Rangers, Rays and Yankees.

Out of the 8 teams ahead of the Dodgers, only the Mets and maybe Marlins could make a claim, reasonably at least. Lets face it, Manny could very well be done and Podsednik... sucks. Put Dunn in LF, disregard his defense(hope it doesnt kill you too much, but cant be too much worse than Manny, right? Hopefully...) and let that bat protect Kemp, Ethier and Loney. If Manny comes back... you have a great problem to have.

Guess who's back? Yours truly. And while I was gone, the Dodgers have... sucked. Well, sorta. The pitching has been amazing. Especially the starters. That guy Kershaw is kinda good. Billingsley has started to go deeper into games.  Jansen has made his debut and laughed at the heart of the Met's lineup, with only fastballs.

Now, what's wrong? The offense. I have to think it is mental. We did it last year without Manny for most of the year, and they need to do it for the time being. Manny is getting old, yes. But when he is healthy, he can still hit. Matt Kemp still has ups and downs of a young player. But why is everyone freaking out!? He is the same guy we saw last year. He is still a 5 tool player. He is also a CF. A CF, 5 tool player... find me a lot of those. Andre, Andre, Andre. We love him. However, he isnt good against lefties. Is it mental or skill? No one knows. But it is time to find out. One fact we should think about... the St. Louis Cardinals last year had the best hitter in the game and a great backup hitter. And they got dominated by the Dodgers. Why? It was just two hitters. When Manny comes back, we have that 3-4-5 punch of Andre-Manny-Kemp. Andre and Kemp will have protection beyond each other. We just need to get healthy.

The other thing that is killing us? The rest of the bullpen behind Broxton, Kuo and Jansen. Whenever the rest of the pen pitches, the fans and the Dodgers themselves hold on for their lives. We need to ditch the crap(ie, Sherrill), and get the more talented arms up here to contribute. The worst part is Torre attempts to try to rebuild his trust in the worst spots. Simply put, Sherrill shouldn't have been pitching in the 9th. Or at all.

Overall, why is everyone flipping out? Yes, we are 7 games back. Yes, this offense is running like crap. But we hold our own destiny. The Rockies have decided to sell, the Giants can't hit, and neither can the Padres. Our pitching matches up fairly well with each team, and the offense is stronger. We have dominated the NL West and guess who we play for most of the rest of the year? The NL West. This Giants series is important. We need to win the series. And honestly, we have beaten each Giant pitcher before, many times most likely. I am confident about the series and about this season. Simply put, if we continue to pitch like we can, not let the shitty pitchers touch the ball, and play to our potential, I'll see you in October.

While this has little to do with the actual team this year, this is about a division foe who, one day, will be a challenge again. Eventually.

Anyways, this year has not been a good year for the D'backs. First, Brandon Webb comes up injured to start the year and still hasn't thrown a pitch. Haren has been very 'meh'. The young offensive guys continue to... suck. The Diamondback hitters continue to strikeout at consistently high rates. They have 5 guys who strikeout at 23.8% rate or higher this season, including the top two in all of baseball, headed by Mark Reynold's 41.5% ratio...

However, this writeup is about a less-literal striking out. The Diamondbacks had the 6th pick in this year draft, and drafted a right handed pitcher out of Texas A&M, Barrett Loux. This pick was not liked by BA, as he was not a consensus 1st rounder. Well, even worse, Loux has failed his physical. He had injury troubles at A&M, including surgery to clean out bone chips from his elbow, but the Dbacks were convinced that he had been healed. However, in the end, not only did the D'backs choose a pitcher who was not a consensus 1st round pick, but their pick, like the Diamondback counterparts, just struck out.

Well, first off, he here is a video from Sands getting tossed from a couple of weeks ago. It shows how big he is and his haircut. haha

After that, John Sickels did a nice writeup yesterday about his performance, a short scouting report, and where he stands with prospects in the game right now:

Jerry Sands was drafted by the Dodgers in the 25th round in 2008, out of Catawba College in North Carolina. He was excellent in college, but as a Division II player it was easy for scouts to be skeptical about his performances. This was especially true after he hit just .205 in 46 Gulf Coast League games after signing, though he did hit 10 homers, showing enough power to avoid getting released. He began 2009 with Ogden in the Pioneer League and was much more effective, hitting .350/.427/.687 with 14 homers...but it was the Pioneer League. He hit .260/.361/.510 in 32 games for Great Lakes in the Midwest League at the end of the season. I gave him a Grade C in the book this year, noting his power but also noting that Midwest League scouts said his swing was long and might not work at higher levels.
    Sands returned to Great Lakes this year, hitting .333/.432/.646 in 69 games, with 18 homers, 40 walks, 61 strikeouts in 243 at-bats, along with 14 steals in 16 attempts...hard to argue with any of that, this is excellent performance in all respects except perhaps a higher-than-ideal strikeout rate. He moved up to Double-A Chattanooga two weeks ago and has remained hot: .333/.412/.756 with four walks, 11 strikeouts in 45 at-bats. Obviously we'd like a larger Double-A sample size, but it looks great so far, with some deterioration in BB/K. 
    Tools-wise, Sands is a big guy at 6-4, 225, with average running speed and a good throwing arm. He steals bases with polish rather than pure speed. Midwest League sources still say his swing looked a bit long, but that his plate discipline is excellent. His current minor league career stats: .300/.400/.599.
    Defensively, he's split the season between first base and right field. His outfield range is reportedly limited, but his arm plays pretty well.
    Grade-wise, Sands is at least a Grade C+/B- at this point. I want to get some Double-A scouting reports and end-of-season numbers before going higher than that, but if he continues to rake like this, he'll be a Grade B by season's end and somewhere in the Top 100.

*Update* I hadn't seen this until now, but Sands was given an honorable mention on Baseball America's mid-season prospect list(July 2nd), behind Mike Trout, Dominic Brown and Mike Stanton(he is listed under Dominic Brown). Slowly but surely, he is getting recognized.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/MLB-latest-news-from-July-070110

 

The Yankees, Dodgers and Cardinals were among the clubs with a scout in attendance at Cliff Lee’s start in Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

Lee simply dominated the Tigers: 8 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11Ks. Hopefully this means the Dodgers are actually going for it at the trade deadline. However, it has been reported multiple times that the Dodgers have little to no money to spend at the deadline.

Now, I know this is not going to be liked by many, but someone needs to say it... Matt Kemp is no longer welcome. I dont care that he had a 297/352/490/842 TSL with 180 hits, 58 for extra bases, 26 of those HRs, 101 RBIs, 34 steals, a 125 OPS+ and that he won a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger. Lets face it, it's the past! It means nothing. I dont care that his career average coming into this season was 299 or that his OPS+ was 116. It was the past! The 75 game, 299 AB sample size is more important! I mean, it is the present! He now has a 771 OPS and an 110 OPS+. Who cares if it is still above average, he is done! I mean, look at his 258 average! We can find better production elsewhere. I mean, Reed Johnson is hitting over 300! Matt Kemp has shown no progress(even though he is one pace to walk more than last year.. who cares, it is only one stat) and is now lazy on the basepaths! He has been caught stealing as much as he has been successful and that is not good! Fuck Matt Kemp, we'd be better starting Reed Johnson for the next 90 games.

• There's not a lot of optimism within the Dodgers' organization that the club will be able to add much payroll to improve its pitching staff, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link). Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told MLBTR's Tim Dierkes that the team's ability to make a deal depends on many variables.

What should be made of this? Is this a smoke screen hoping that GMs will ask for less prospects knowing the Dodgers will take money, them trying to convince fans, or even trying to convince themselves everything is ok? Also, does this hint at a bigger commitment, ie Haren or Oswalt?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/06/odds-ends-ibarra.html

Jerry Sands has moved from A ball to AA two games ago, after plain out dominating A ball. A 333/432/646/1.078 line in A ball, over 1/2 a season. He hit 18 homeruns, 16 doubles, and 3 triples(37 of his 81 hits=extra bases). He has played 2 games in AA, and has 2 homeruns, and 5 hits in 8 ABs. The 3 outs were Ks, but all in the first game. Obviously, the AA sample is extremely small, Sands has gone from an older guy to an interesting case. He also plays RF, but is at 1B because of necessity, so he has some defensive value... What do you think?

We have had this talk many times in game threads and such, but it is almost July, and therefore the rumors shall begin. Over on MLBTR, an article was linked where MLB.com's Steve Gilbert suggested that the Dbacks could retool their farm by dealing Dan Haren. So, the conversation began. Someone suggested that the Dodgers could use Haren and that a deal could happen. Another fan felt that the Dbacks wouldn't deal within the division, and that is where I came in. I said I thought a deal could happen, as the Dodgers and Dbacks have dealt with each other in the past, as recently as last year, with the Jon Garland/Tony Abreu deal. One of the more respected posters, jdub220, started a conversation with me about how much it would take. If you choose, you can read that whole conversation, but in the end, he seemed to think this deal would be a solid deal for Haren:

If you guys trade Drew as well, it would probably be Gordon, Martin or Withrow, Belisario, Ely and then maybe Trayvon Robinson and Lindblom?

It sounds like a lot, yes, but this is Dan Haren. He quietly became one of the best pitchers in the majors, and the Dodgers know this. This deal would affect the MLB team in some regard, with Belisario and Ely being part of the deal. However, Haren would take Ely's spot and Belisario could be replaced by Link, and eventually Jansen. Or the revival of George Sherrill? I said that, if neccessary, we may need to include E. Martin and Withrow. That would be the hardest part, along with Gordon. However, both Martin and Gordon are a ways off and Withrow still needs to take that 'next step'. Robinson and Lindblom would round out the deal, as both will probably be MLB players, but not stars.

So, is it too much? Does it matter if it is Martin AND Withrow or Martin OR Withrow, or do the other player/prospects matter as well?

It was reported by TBLA's own Julio Nievas that Miller has been called up to AA GREAT NEWS

Aaron Miller has been called up! Will join Chattanooga!

Conquest Chronicles

by Julio Nievas on Jun 22, 2010 6:43 PM PDT reply actions

I just posted this story yesterday, but here is MOKM's writer's take on Aaron Miller:

Aaron Miller|LHP|A+|22-His command is coming in below my expectations, but it's still average to above average which is better than pretty much every other starting pitcher prospect in the system. He has struck out 75 batters and walked 35 batters in 74.2 innings. He has been lucky to have a 2.77 ERA, but I like his peripherals enough to probably move him up.

As Im sure many of you have noticed, I linked Kensai's A+ ball prospect updates. I posted a similar story on minorleagueball.com and someone asked me about the progression of Aaron Miller. They wanted to know about his changeup progression, if there was any. Does anyone know anything I can pass on to the poster on minorleagueball?

Also, does anyone have any idea about his possible advancement from A ball to AA?

Thanks in advance

http://www.memoriesofkevinmalone.com/2010/06/down-on-farm-aaron-miller-rises-and.html

From Kensai, because he doesn't seem like he was going to whore it, I'll do it for him :). I'll only post a couple so Kensai gets hits on his site

Aaron Miller|LHP|A+|22-His command is coming in below my expectations, but it's still average to above average which is better than pretty much every other starting pitcher prospect in the system. He has struck out 75 batters and walked 35 batters in 74.2 innings. He has been lucky to have a 2.77 ERA, but I like his peripherals enough to probably move him up.

Nathan Eovaldi|RHP|A+|20-His ERA of 4.01 and FIP of 3.77 look impressive, and even though he does keep the ball on the ground, 0 homers in 60.2 innings just isn't realistic going forward. His walk rate has remained consistently average (9.7%) as a professional, but his strikeout rate continues to decline as he moves levels (27.3%/17.0%/15.8%). Trust me, he still throws hard, but the problem involves his breaking ball refinement. On the upside, he has 18 strikeouts in 14.1 June innings to go along with 6 walks, but I need to see more of that before being convinced of anything.

Ethan Martin|RHP|A+|21-He is either dominant or he gets dominated, and it seems to alternate every other start. Consistency is his problem right now, as he is certainly showing the stuff to succeed. 66 strikeouts in 63 innings speak to his stuff, but the 38 walks show his command is still a significant issue. I will say this though, as a starter, he has a 4.33 ERA, but as a reliever, he has an 11.00 ERA. Probably best just to let him start games instead of being the caddy.

http://www.memoriesofkevinmalone.com/2010/06/down-on-farm-aaron-miller-rises-and.html#more

With Tony Delmonico out with a broken wrist, and Pedro Baez out since May 5th, there's little offensive talent left at Inland Empire, but there are still an adequate number of arms at the ready.

Aaron Miller|LHP|A+|22-His command is coming in below my expectations, but it's still average to above average which is better than pretty much every other starting pitcher prospect in the system. He has struck out 75 batters and walked 35 batters in 74.2 innings. He has been lucky to have a 2.77 ERA, but I like his peripherals enough to probably move him up.

Kyle Smit|RHP|A+|22-Finally moved to relief full time, he has thrived. He has 36 K and 8 BB in 38 innings, and carries a 3.08 ERA. He keeps the ball on the ground well and has served as a closer from time to time, so it certainly seems like he has found his niche.

Austin Gallagher|1B|A+|21-His overall line of .272/.329/.357/.686 is not impressive, and so far, his 2010 season looks a lot like 2009. The walk rate has remained steady for Gallagher, and the strikeouts have actually come down, but ever since his shoulder injury last year, his ISO has been cut in half. What once was a doubles machines with projection to turn them into homers, has now become more of a singles hitter with similarly average on base and defensive value. He's only 21 so there's still time, but how his power bounces back from his shoulder injury will determine his future.

Nathan Eovaldi|RHP|A+|20-His ERA of 4.01 and FIP of 3.77 look impressive, and even though he does keep the ball on the ground, 0 homers in 60.2 innings just isn't realistic going forward. His walk rate has remained consistently average (9.7%) as a professional, but his strikeout rate continues to decline as he moves levels (27.3%/17.0%/15.8%). Trust me, he still throws hard, but the problem involves his breaking ball refinement. On the upside, he has 18 strikeouts in 14.1 June innings to go along with 6 walks, but I need to see more of that before being convinced of anything.

Ethan Martin|RHP|A+|21-He is either dominant or he gets dominated, and it seems to alternate every other start. Consistency is his problem right now, as he is certainly showing the stuff to succeed. 66 strikeouts in 63 innings speak to his stuff, but the 38 walks show his command is still a significant issue. I will say this though, as a starter, he has a 4.33 ERA, but as a reliever, he has an 11.00 ERA. Probably best just to let him start games instead of being the caddy.

Steven Caseres|1B|A+|23-Not sure what has happened here, as he's repeating the league but has gotten significantly worse. Last year's .828 OPS made him seem like a candidate to get tested at AA, but he has since cratered to a .663 OPS. He has been a bit unlucky with the BABIP, but there's no reason for his power to be basically cut in half. Quickly becoming organization depth rather than a potential reserve. He probably has to come off the prospect list at this stage too.

Alfredo Silverio|OF|A+|23-After following him for quite a while, I decided to take him off the prospect list. Now 23 and hitting .215/.222/.372/.594, i've lost my patience.

Geison Aguasviva|LHP|A+|22-More than struggling with the league, he seems to be struggling as a starter. I argued that he should get his chance,and he did, but he has hardly impressed in that time, walking 13 and striking out 15 while having a 6.30 ERA. As a reliever though he has continued to thrive, posting 11 strikeouts and just two walks in 11.2 innings. His ERA of 4.63 is not the most impressive, but that will come down with a bigger sample and better luck.

Jon Michael Redding|RHP|A+|22-Overall, he doesn't look so great. A 4.42 ERA in 71.1 innings with poor peripherals (44 K/35 BB) don't exactly scream prospect. However, in June he has 16 K and 6 walks in 21 innings, so improvement seems to be coming. He keeps the ball primarily on the ground, so I think he could actually benefit from improved defenses as he moves levels.

Javier Solano|RHP|A+|20-A 5.16 ERA is a bit misleading, as he has had 23 strikeouts and just 4 free passes in 22.2 innings pitched. A BABIP of .403 can't possibly continue.

*Update, 6/22/10* Aaron Miller has been moved up to AA

Now it is our 3rd, 4th and 27th rounders. Via Dylan Hernandez:

http://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/statuses/16644161591

Dodgers sign 3rd-, 4th- and 27th-round picks.

I thought Leon Landry(3rd rounder) had already signed, so I assume this means his contract is now official.

From Kensai at MOKM, here are a trio of reports about Landry:

Leon Landry

My initial impression is that this is a good pick, if nothing else than because he's signable. Comparisons to Jared Mitchell would seem to be flying about, because they both attended LSU and both played football, but they would be wrong.

He's not nearly as polished, but the tools are all there to succeed. I like what i've seen of his swing, and obviously his athleticism is a huge plus.

Baseball America

Landry was a regular on Louisiana State's 2008 College World Series club as a freshman, but he lost his starting job midway through 2009. After helping the Tigers win the national title as a part-timer, he starred in the Cape Cod League, hitting .364 with wood bats. Landry profiles as a potential four-tool center fielder. He's having his best college season to date, reflecting a more mature approach at the plate. He no longer sells out for power and pulls off pitches, and he's doing a much better job of controlling the strike zone. A 5-foot-11, 195-pound lefthanded batter, he projects as a possible .275 hitter with 15 homers in the big leagues. He has slightly above-average speed and keen defensive instincts that allow him to play center field. If he can't stick in center as a pro, his below-average arm would dictate a move to left field, which in turn would put more pressure on his bat.

ESPN

Landry is a conundrum for pro teams -- an athletic outfielder who can run but isn't a burner, whose reads in centerfield are poor enough that he's not a lock to stay at the position, and who hits but has no power and isn't particularly patient.

Landry has some bat speed and his swing isn't complicated, but he meets the ball out front too often and doesn't make solid enough contact. He can foul pitches off but rarely drives the ball, and against left-handed pitchers he tends to just hit the ball the other way.

In center, he has the speed to play the position but his instincts aren't good, and he doesn't have the arm for right field. In other words, he has the tools to be a good player, a centerfielder who hits and adds value through baserunning, but he's not there yet and at 21 has less room for growth than a similarly raw, toolsy high school player.

FanGraphs

Already a SportsCenter staple due to an amazing defensive highlight reel, Landry has a history of making big plays in big games. However, he’s wildly inconsistent, and was benched for stretches of LSU’s title run last season. The problem is a pull happy approach, and he just isn’t the home run hitter he believes himself to be. While capable of great plays in the outfield, he draws criticism for bad reads on standard plays.

Baseball Beginnings has a ton of information on him, and here is MLB.com video.

Our 4th rounder is James Baldwin.  Once again from Kensai, here are a couple reports about Baldwin:

James Baldwin

If the name is familiar, it should be, as his dad was a long time pitcher with the White Sox. To be honest, there's not a lot of information out there right now.

Baseball America

Elon recruit Baldwin III is the son of the former big league pitcher, James Baldwin Jr., who was drafted by the White Sox out of the same high school (Pinecrest) in the fourth round in 1990. The father threw more than 1,300 major league innings over 11 seasons, and now serves as the Pinecrest pitching coach. The son has also worked as a righthanded pitcher but is a prospect as an outfielder, with athleticism that stands out in this year's high school class. His bat is raw because he was both a football and basketball standout as well during his prep career, and he'll be a safer pick coming out of school in three years unless a team buys into his big league bloodlines.

Baseball America

The son of the former righthanded pitcher of the same name, the younger Baldwin is just as tall as his dad but is a lot leaner and more athletic.

Baldwin is a three-sport star for Pinecrest High. He was a four-year starter on the football team as a highly-recruited wide receiver, and an all-conference forward on the basketball team. But he's giving up those sports to focus solely on baseball from here on out.

Through his first eight games, Baldwin was hitting .500/.552/.654 with two doubles, two home runs and five stolen bases. He's very instinctive on the basepaths and steals third base like he owns it.

Baldwin is an Elon recruit and the 6-foot-3, 187-pounder has an extremely projectable frame with long arms and legs. He glides in the outfield and easily covers a large swath of land with his long, graceful strides. His arms make his swing a little long at the plate, but his swing also produces a lot of leverage, giving him power potential from the left side of the plate as he fills out and grows into his body.

"Every coach in the school needs a guy like this," Pinecrest baseball coach Jeff Hewitt said. "He's set major records for receiving at Pinecrest. The day after the team lost to Fuquay-Varina in the playoffs, he was on the basketball court. He's just a joy to watch. He's also keeping his grades up. He has juggled so many sports for so many years, it's going to be awesome to watch him at the next level, to see him narrow in on one sport. . . . He does an amazing job with his range in the outfield and he has an uncanny ability to steal third."

 

Yimi Rodriquez is our 27th rounder, but I don't have much info, other than Kensai said he was a hard thrower. If anyone knows anything, I'd be happy to add it.

These recent reports about multiple signings(the 2nd straight day I have made a fanpost about the Dodgers signing 3 draft picks) of draft picks means White was able to add players to the system, at the minimum. If we are lucky, a couple of these players will become actual prospects.

Kensai had expected all three of these guys to sign. This article also gives his opinion about the players we drafted and their likely hood to sign. I assume this has probably been linked here before, but it deserves to be re-posted:

http://www.memoriesofkevinmalone.com/2010/06/los-angeles-dodgers-2010-draft-recap.html

BOSTON -- The Dodgers on Saturday announced the signing of three more of their Draft picks -- eighth-round pick Michael Dean, a first baseman from LSU; 25th-round pick Jeremy Gilmore, a center fielder from Coastal Carolina University; and 34th-round pick Joe Lincoln, a catcher from Missouri Southern University.

From mlb.com:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100619&content_id=11356524&notebook_id=11357816&vkey=notebook_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la&partnerId=rss_la

Andre's brother(drafted in the 32nd round) is in Boston to watch Andre play, which could be a sign that he is close to signing with the club:

Finally...

First-round pick Zach Lee remains unsigned and committed to play baseball and football at LSU, although Dodgers officials remain optimistic they can make an offer substantial enough to lure him away. If they are unable to sign Lee, they would receive the 29th overall pick in next year's Draft as compensation.

This is from mlb.com...

http://www.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2010/drafttracker.jsp?p=0&s=30&sc=pick_number&so=ascending&st=number&ft=TM&fv=la

A handful of players after the first 3 picks have commentary. Many have video.

This is the commentary from Kevin Gausman, our 6th rounder:

Comments: Gausman is a known name in Draft circles after hitting the summer showcase circuits. In those settings, he was able to show off his plus arm strength and the ability to light up radar guns from a projectable frame. This spring, however, he hasn't shown the aptitude to do much else consistently. His secondary stuff has not been sharp, and he struggles to throw any of those offerings for strikes. As a "name" prospect who does have big-time arm strength, he's still likely to garner some interest, but it seems like his stock has taken a hit this spring.