Braves at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, SPSO
Zack Greinke (5-1, 1.48 ERA) goes out after a Dodger win for a change. He’s not asked to stop a losing streak of even a single game tonight. His mound opponent will be lefty Alex Wood (2-2, 3.83), a three-year veteran. The only Dodger who’s had more than ten at-bats against Wood is Jimmie Rollins, and he’s 0-for-14.
Jay Jaffe of SI tries to make sense of the Uribe trade and can’t: “For the Dodgers, they’ve traded away their best infield defender and a possible second-half bullpen arm in a deal that just doesn’t make sense.”
Here are the trade details: Uribe and Withrow to the Braves for Alberto Callaspo, Ian Thomas, Juan Jaime and Eric Stults. The Dodgers then followed up: “Callaspo on active roster, Thomas optioned to @okc_dodgers, Jaime goes to extended Spring Training, Stults designated for assignment.”
The best way I can make sense of it is that the Dodgers realized they weren’t doing Uribe any good playing him in a three-way platoon at third base and looked for a way to get him to a team which would use him more often. He’s a free agent at the end of this season and he wants to impress potential new employers. That may not be the real reason for this deal, but I can’t figure out any other sensible ones.
Lineup when available.
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Braves:
Pederson CF
Rollins SS
Kendrick 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Turner 3B
Guerrero LF
Heisey RF
Ellis C
Greinke P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2015
The Braves’ lefty is the reason André sits, I’m sure.
NPUT
Shortstop Corey Seager went 6-for-6 today (Thursday) for Oklahoma City at Salt Lake City. He had three singles, two doubles and a homer, scored twice and drove in six runs. OKC won, 14-11. In the four-game series in Utah, Seager went 13-for-18 with three homers and 10 RBIs, struck out only once and walked twice. He raised his average from .238 to .324. OKC won three of the four games.
He may be the sparkplug that’s needed if the offense sputters again.
If Seager continues to do well in the Pacific Coast League, and the hot Giants move past us by a few games, I think he could be brought up. But that would happen only if Rollins continues his flirtation with the Mendoza line.
The reason they called up Heisey was that Van Slyke tweaked his back and is day-to-day.
According to Mike P, “Rollins hitting .280/.321./460 with a .267 BABIP last 14 days.” A glimmer of hope.
Link, this was from a comment on the Dodgers site – if accurate, it seems to support your notion that HO was trying to accommodate Uribe: “Several days ago Uribe, through his agent, requested a trade to a team
where he would have the opportunity to play regularly. Not having a
good year, limited to 3b, not a good PH, 36 years old, and a FA at end
of year. Dodgers options to accommodate him were pretty slim. If
Dodgers waited until Olivera was ready to play it was likely that Uribe
would have been DFA where he potentially could have signed with Giants
or Padres. Not a good trade, not a bad trade; but team did right by
Uribe by sending him to Braves.”
Makes me feel a little better about the whole thing.
Of course, the Barves could turn around and ship him to the Gnats.
No-o-o-o-o-o!
At which point, he will hit the HR that knocks us out of the running during play-offs.
An appreciation of the rejuvenated Andre Ethier, but with some caveats: http://dodgersdigest.com/2015/05/28/so-andre-ethier-is-good-again-apparently/
Pedro Moura
@pedromoura
Juan Uribe: “I would’ve felt bad if they traded me to a soccer, basketball or football team. But it’s another baseball team, so I’m happy.”
So I guess he would have been neutral if he had been traded to a hockey, water polo, or rugby team.
Cricket?
This could bring new meaning to “it’s just not cricket.” ;-])
Feels like the Dodgers just gave that one away. Frustrating.
Actually…. they kinda just ” threw ” it away…. 😉
…..
Compliments of Mr. Liberatore….
Be nice to have Puig back to battle these southpaws.
Well, yeah, but this was only the seventh game in which the Dodgers have faced a lefty starter, according to Vinnie.
It would just be nice to have Puig back period.
They haven’t missed Puig as much as I feared, but the sooner he’s back the better.
Too bad. But maybe this will start an Atlanta run of wins!
I’m not too confident here.
A.J. very lucky it wasn’t a GIDP.
This is so weird.
I want A.J. to do something positive here, but my confidence in him is limited. Major DP candidate.
I’m hoping for a walk!
Dre!!!
Let’s go Andre!
If only Turner had been on base!
You said the same exact thing my wife just said……
AG! Wish JT had been on.
Who do you like as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 9th?
Dre.
Babe Ruth.
Whoa. That was a close call, at first.
Not close, but you know what I mean…
Bats and bullpen better step up their game this weekend vs. a contending team.
Their relievers are throwing strikes. That’s the difference.
Ok….
I’m totally not trying to be snarky here….
And, yes…. I’ll be patient ( per WBB’s advisement ) with these guys, but on this night….
….
Hatcher = 2 base runners…
Liberatore = On the pitch before the “Bull Durham – Hit the Bull” pitch” …. I said to the tv, “Don’t
bounce it…..” He did, but AJ back-handed it…. luckily.
Luckily… because it provided for the next ‘nugget of entertainment’ (ala-George Costanza referring to Elaine’s dancing moves) which was Liberatore letting one fly to the back stop, yielding a run…… and, I’m quite certain a ‘grimace’ on the face of one Zach Grienke…
…
Way to go, Farhan! – Way to build a staff !
“Now, back to this one….” as Vinny says.
…
PS- I hope these to guys come out and make amends tomorrow… 🙂
Liberatore’s been really good since he’s been up.
Adam appreciates your comments, but wonders where you were on April 17, 19, 21, 27, 29, May 3, 7 10, 11, 15, 19 and 25?
No game manana but huge weekend in St. Louis.
Have you noticed how badly Kimbrel has done with his new team? Relievers aren’t perfect.
So close to getting out of that with nothing but they dug to big a hole with wildness.
C’MON, bats!
Nothin’ going right. (well at least it was a ground rule double).
A.J. lets it get past him.
Not sure Andre the Giant could have reached that rocket.
Brutal when you walk a batter who is looking to bunt and willing to give you an out for free.
I will try to stop myself from repeating my Hatcher limerick of a couple of days ago.
Until/if he gets it straightened out, he belongs in low-leverage situations.
D
Kike, you can do better than that.
Not sure the 2 called strikes actually were. This ump has been weird.
Kee-kay
Quique.
Dodgers should win this game that will be decided by the bullpens.
Shouldn’t they?
Well, there’s Hatcher to make things interesting.
Let’s go Alex!
After this game, I’m a big Braves fan.
A.J. must be regretting that out.
3 hits, no runs . . . yet.
Hope Zack doesn’t drain himself with the running.
He’s already over 80-something pitches in five innings.
After 3 hits in one inning, you could hope for at least one.
That’s our pitcher! Stealing second.
Wow. I’m surprised. Safe.
Throw in plenty of time, foot off the bag.
I think Greinke is out.
AJ slower then molasses on that hit.
Even before injuries started taking their toll, A.J. would not have beaten that throw.
JR & JT!
Uribear will have to learn to play with one of the best defensive shortstops in the game.
What happened?
He ranged far to his left on the ground ball he booted, when Simmons was already in position to field it.
Ah. The Braves’ shortstop is a little younger and has more range than Rollins.
He has a dWAR of 1.2 already this season
Braves broadcasters beefing about how loud the sound is at DS. Kinda implied Vin has complained about it too, over and over. But the complaints fall on deaf ears.
[Sorry..sorta]
Oy!
OK, bats — get it back!
Even Guerrero’s outs are long. That one was to the warning track in deepest centerfield…
So, Don’s not the only one who orders bad bunts.
“Like poached egg on toast,” AJ jumped on that ball . . . per Vin.
After slipping into the .230s, Pederson is now at .262.
ZacKx3!!! (will not show those offensive initials)
But wow, did he labor!
Bullet, dodged.
31 pitches? No es bueno.
ZacKK!
Uno mas, por favor!
C’mon, Zack — get the K or double play!
A.J.’s framing shortcomings are costing Greinke.
DP — don’t want Uribear to have a chance to really hurt.
Have read that Uribe’s agent may have asked for a trade.
Meanwhile, dude can’t “get no respect.” His first Braves BP jersey read UR BE. Explanation: adhesive on the “I” failed, later fixed with adhesive tape.
First the Dodgers reassign his uniform number the very next day after he’s traded. Now this additional indignity. Seems fitting to happen to Uribe, somehow.
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/5/27/8675235/juan-uribe-braves-jersey-is-missing-a-letter-no-i-in-team?_ga=1.40852769.2014194878.1389713399
No way the jersey had room for the “AR” after the “E,” either. ;-])
But we would have found a way.
Vin recounted class act by fans and Dodger players alike, giving Uribear a standing O.
Apropos of the Uribe trade, this is from a 2013 MLB.COM story:
May 30, 1922: The Cubs and Cardinals were in the middle of a morning-day doubleheader (back then, the first games of a double dip started before noon) at Cubs Park. Max Flack, who lived three blocks from the ballpark, went home for lunch between games and arrived back to
the Cubs clubhouse to find out he’d been traded.
Flack was now a Cardinal, swapped for outfielder Cliff Heathcote. The two did what any similarly-built men would do (Flack was 5-foot-7, 150 pounds; Heathcote, 5-10, 160): they traded uniforms and hit the field with their new teams.
Willie Mays was traded from the Giants to the Mets in mid-series in May of 1972.
Ethier is batting .310 vs. righties (31-for-100) and .316 vs. lefties (6-for-19) this season. With the season between one-fourth and one-third complete, Ethier is on a pace to set career highs in batting average, OBP, slugging and OPS. He has grounded into only one DP. Ethier also has his best walk to strikeout ratio, 17 to 21. This is his 10th year with the Dodgers.
SSS. Historically, Ethier is very poor v. lefties.
Read some of the money explanations today and I’m doing this from memory. You want to look it up and call me a liar, feel free… Dodgers saved a little over $4 MM on Uribe’s salary, but are paying $1 MM for Stults and $2.5 MM for Callaspo, so they’ve saved a little over half a million but no new USEFUL players. Atlanta saves about $3.5 MM in salaries of players leaving but is now paying $4 MM plus for Uribe, plus the $100 K they bribed Callaspo with. So for considerably less than $1 MM net they get the services of Uribe for the rest of the season. I’d say they came out ahead…
It really weird seeing Uribe in the other teams lineup list
The jerks in the FO may be having fun but their antics are not pleasing to at least some Dodger fans, including me. A roster which changes daily, so many players going through that we’ll soon have to use triple digit uniform numbers (or maybe maybe letter suffixes) really doesn’t give a fan a chance to bond with the players. No, I don’t want Ned back but stability please.
You really care about this juggling of players at the back end of the roster?
Yes. And I think the players care also.
Other than the players involved, I doubt that the other roster 23 players not in the revolving door give it much thought. We are basically talking about Heisey, Barney, and a couple of pitchers trading places.
who’s Barney in for, I missed that?
As part of the revolving door. Not up now.
Is “Designated for Assignment” something like being halfway fired?
It is your owner putting a “For Sale” sign on you…
I see.
Uribe is apparently the consummate personality in the clubhouse — liked, respected and admired. But his value at bat had diminished — I know he didn’t get that many chances — and Guerrero and Turner are now better hitters. Uribe, however, is a remarkable defensive presence. Perhaps it was hard for Mattingly to continue to keep him on the bench because of how highly Juan is regarded. That won’t be hard with the newcomer Callaspo, who won’t be on this roster long. He will depart when Olivera arrives, or sooner. I hope Uribe does well with the Braves, starting with the four-game series in San Francisco beginning tomorrow.
Santos has been DFA’d, Heisey recalled from OKC.
Uribe isn’t much of a bat off the bench, but he’s more than a late-inning defensive replacement to the right team. With Turner, Guerrero and Olivera, he wasn’t going to play much, and he didn’t have much value as an aging starter with just a few months left on his contract. I hated his signing originally, but then grew to respect him, though I won’t miss him much. Callaspo and Stults will not be around long, but the minor leaguers might have some reclamation upside.