WEDNESDAY, 1:08pm: The Dodgers released Repko, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The move saved the team $375K of his $500K salary.
TUESDAY, 6:34pm: The Dodgers have placed outfielder Jason Repko on waivers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The move is less than surprising, as there is no room in Los Angeles' outfield for the club's first-round selection in the 1999 draft.
The 29-year-old has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career and has not seen significant time in the Majors since 2006. In 433 plate appearances for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate last season, Repko hit .277/.329/.471 with 16 home runs.
The Dodgers shouldn’t have signed Reed Johnson. Jason Repko isn’t worse and is relatively cheaper I think.
Do you comment on every post?
Absolutley. Why?
You must be living the life because I know there is no way I have the time to comment on every post and pay attention to what goes on with every other team besides my own.
Well I am a huge Baseball fan and I certainly do follow every Major League Baseball team. Plenty of people who read MLBTR do as well.
Amen to that.
You bet. Thanks Mr. Volquez!
You sure are living the life! Wish I could buy half your time.
You tell ’em Dave!
Priceless
That is the million dollar question!
Repko: .226/.297/.371
Johnson: .282/.344/.411
Repko might be the better defender but Johnson clearly has the better bat.
Well Garret Anderson has been swinging a hot bat, they need some defense in the outfield because Garret didn’t even bring his glove I bet.
Keeping in mind that the Dodgers’ center fielder won a gold glove last season. The fact is the Dodgers needed someone who could sub for any of the outfielders. Reed plays all the positions and doesn’t create a hole in the batting order to do it. Funny, but if the Dodgers had kept Repko instead of signing Johnson, everybody would be talking about what awful skinflints they are, keeping the cheap player they had instead of signing who they needed.
Repko is a great defender in CF and RF as well, though – probably even better than Johnson. Reed Johnson looked like a good signing when it seemed like he would be Manny’s backup in LF, but Garrett Anderson makes him unnecessary. Repko would have been more than adequate backing up Kemp and Ethier (who really don’t need many days off).
The real reason I’d like Repko over Johnson is this, though – Carroll, Belliard, Anderson, Johnson, Ausmus. Who from that group pinch runs in late innings to try to squeeze across a tying or go ahead run? The speed there is almost non-existent. Repko would be an asset in that regard.
Hopefully Amezaga comes back healthy and takes Johnson’s spot.
Repko is a plus defender, no question (when healthy, which isn’t often), and he can also play all of the outfield positions. The problem with him taking up the 4th outfielder roster spot is he’s a batting order liability. The 4th outfielder gets used as a starter about once a week, and that’s a lot of games for a .225 hitter to be in the lineup. As for Anderson, I’d be surprised to see him used as an outfielder at all, except in emergencies. He’s there to hit off the bench. Besides, they signed Johnson before Anderson, right?
I don’t know about that. They’ve given Anderson quite a few innings in LF this spring. I think the plan is to have him backup Manny in LF, while Johnson would backup Ethier and Kemp. I could be wrong, though…
Yes, when Johnson was signed it didn’t look like Anderson would be a Dodger.
A team usually only needs one backup outfielder and I believe Johnson’s most frequently played position in his career is left field. I think the point of having a guy like Reed Johnson on a team is so no matter who Joe thinks needs a day off, he can play there. He probably won’t play much right, since if Ethier gets a rest, Kemp can move over.
A team usually only needs one backup outfielder and I believe Johnson’s most frequently played position in his career is left field. I think the point of having a guy like Reed Johnson on a team is so no matter who Joe thinks needs a day off, he can play there. He probably won’t play much right, since if Ethier gets a rest, Kemp can move over.
you have to realize that when we signed Reed Johnson, we had no interest in GA anymore. The interest in GA came when Doug M was sucking. Johnson was signed because he has a career 23.3 UZR/150 in LF. He was signed to be Manny’s sub. Jason Repko has a NEGATIVE 24.9 in LF. As someone said below, Johnson also has the better bat.
Eyechart wasnt sucking, there was just no place for him, because he was limited to playing first with his shoulder. GA was signed only after Giles was starting to show that his knee wasnt working. GA was supposed to play first, but Joe was comfortable with Belliard at first, so Eyechart wasnt needed. GA should provide some pop, but eyecharts defense is pretty good.
I should have defensively. While he could still catch the ball, he couldn’t throw at all. While 1B generally don’t need to throw, they are certain situations, double plays, cut offs, etc, where that is neccesary.
Jason Repko IS worse than Reed Johnson. But I still agree with you.
Having Garrett Anderson to spell Manny in LF makes Reed Johnson’s bat largely unnecessary. Ethier and Kemp aren’t going to need many days off, and Repko would have been sufficient to backup those two.
The main reason I’d prefer Jason Repko over Reed Johnson is the bench. Carroll, Belliard, Anderson and Ausmus provide absolutely no speed off the bench. Who is going to pinch run in late innings to try to squeeze out a tying or go ahead run? Repko’s speed would be an asset off the bench, Johnson’s speed is largely non-existent.
If he is claimed by a team is he required to be put on the 40 man roster? If not alot of teams could use some decent depth in AAA incase of injury.
I think so. Repko is signed to a major league deal. They put him on waivers with the hope that someone would claim him and, thus, assume his 2010 salary. If he clears then the Dodgers can send him to AAA, but they’d still be on the hook for his 2010 salary. ($500K I think)
Since he is being waived off the 40-man roster, he must be added to the claiming team’s 40-man roster. Sometimes during the winter you will see some fringe pitcher get waived and claimed several times as teams try to get them off the 40-man roster but keep them in their system.
Like Travis Chick or Casey Fein
Repko is horrible, I would much rather have Johnson. But who knows the Outfielders the Dodgers get rid of end up being good like Victorino and Werth.
eh, I highly doubt Repko has any chance of being as good as those two.
Amazing, and I mean amazing defense. Can’t hit.
Should of been DFAed like 3 seasons ago.
Is he getting that 500,000 dollar salary for the season?
I just don’t understand what the Dodgers are doing recently. Yes, it was obvious that Repko was the odd man out, but I don’t understand what the management was thinking when they offered him a major league contract in the first place. They could have non-tendered him and resigned him for a low contract or even offer a minor league deal. I just don’t get why they would sign him for $500k, just to sign Reed Johnson a week later and then sign another OF in GA. It’s not like Repko came into this spring and going to be anyone else besides the same Repko he’s been for years. Good defender, good throwing arm, a little speed, and no sock. Seems like a waste of $500k. I think that Repko would be beneficial in AAA to help out some of the kids, but its been pretty clear that Repko would only be defensive replacement/pinch runner in the big leagues.
His major league stats may not prove me right on this one, but this guy is a warrior. It’s too bad he couldn’t stay healthy with the Dodgers. Whoever picks him up is getting a hidden gem.