Earlier today the Dodgers officially announced the signing of Cuban outfielder Yasel Puig to a seven-year deal. The news of the agreement sent shock waves through baseball this week and clearly shows that the club is very serious about getting back into signing top Latin American players. Here's more out of Los Angeles..
- The Puig deal could be just the start of major moves to come from the Dodgers, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. According to major league sources, they have talked multiple times to the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers. They've also touched base with a number of other teams, including the Mariners, Royals, Twins, Blue Jays and Padres, sources said. The Dodgers would like to add a hitter, a starting pitcher, and a left-handed reliever.
- Speaking of the Cubs, the Dodgers are viewed as a favorite to land Ryan Dempster once he returns from the disabled list, sources suggest to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The two sides haven't talked since the week before Dempster went down but a person familiar with the situation says Los Angeles has a very good chance to land the right-hander.
- The Dodgers are lukewarm to the idea of signing Derrek Lee, and would prefer to explore other options first, a major league source told Rosenthal. Lee would require time at Triple-A and the Dodgers seem to prefer more certainty and perhaps a more immediate solution at first base.
Andy Repinski
Dee Gordon for Zack Greinke.
theophilus166
no way. The Dodgers won’t give up a young kid who’s playing in the majors and is under team control for years for a pitcher who will soon be a free agent.
BLB25
Ha, Dee Gordon has been pretty terrible. It would take MORE than that.
Terrence1
Love seeing the Dodgers getting aggressive. Their farm system is stocked with young arms, but bereft of potential impact hitters. Who are some possibly good fits when it comes to a corner IF for this season?
tmengd
what about another Lee that plays 1B? Carlos? He doesn’t hit for power anymore but his average is around .300 and he leads all on mlb in Least Strikeouts per ab. He like 15 on something. Good Contact and Houston would eat most of his contract just to get a marginal prospect back I am sure.
Terrence1
Isn’t Greinke a FA next season?
TophersReds
Yep.
withpower
Are the Dodgers looking for an established veteran at 1B or are they willing to try and get a guy who may be blocked in another organization?
Clint Robinson in KC is pretty much stuck in AAA, has hit at every level. I suppose they could see what CHC wants for LaHair. They could give Jerry Sands some more run — I know he hasn’t been great this year, but he’s just 24. Dave Cooper out in Toronto? Adam Lind, even? He killed the ball when they sent him down to AAA.
If they weren’t willing to beat the Lillibridge/Stewart offer to get Youkilis are they really that serious about getting a 1B?
Gobias Bluth
It didn’t seem to me as though they actually wanted Youkilis that bad. Sure you can hope to catch lightning in a bottle but at face value, I don’t think they considered him much of an offensive upgrade. They need dudes that are producing now as opposed to guys that have done it in the past or are hoping to breakout of a season long funk.
I like your Lind suggestion. The Jays have essentially given up on him as he has been passed over a couple times now and I don’t think it would take much besides taking on his salary to acquire him. He would have huge upside if he could resemble any semblance of his former self. He’s younger than Youkilis too.
Andy Repinski
on a more serious note, just how “untouchable” is Profar from the Rangers? Do they want to get over Hump and actually win the World Series?
bigpat
The Dodgers have no need for Dempster right now, not sure why they would make that trade. They need so much more production from their offense and I feel like that would have to be addressed first.
strycknyne
Acknowledgement that Lilly is more hurt than we’ve read, and that the team (for whatever reason) is completely allergic to giving Eovaldi anything resembling run support.
bigpat
Eovaldi is a pretty solid pitcher, especially for your 5th guy but Coletti seems like he has a stiffie for veteran starters. Gave two of them two years deals, not saying they were bad moves because Capuano has been great, but still…
User 4245925809
Dempster could be a beast in that stadium (Chavez) for years. it’s been proven many times that people even not as much as he on the downside can do very well there.
Not saying the LAD should trade for him, but look to sign him after the season on a short term deal and Dempster, if he is smart will look at what that place did for Derek Lowe and Ted Lilly.
Guest 4489
LaHair and Dempster to the Dodgers! but for who?
ThinkBlue10
Dodgers, stay away from Dempster. And if we’re gonna make some moves to improve the team then we better do it now. If we wait we’ll be too far out of contention for it to make sense to trade for anyone.
Bob Salek
Dodgers didn’t mind Lily, similar pitchers in similar situations. This time though the Cubs are going to get more than Blake Dewitt and two no-bodies
j6takish
E5 to the dodgers to become E3?
withpower
He would be a good pick up for them, but Toronto seems to be hanging around just enough to maybe not be sure where they want to go with that.
He’s only a rental, but LA seems to have a large willingness to spend now so maybe they aren’t worried about being able to extend him later.
I’d imagine pitching needs to come back to Toronto. Zach Lee as a starting point?
northsfbay
As posted earlier, the Dodgers don’t need pitching, they need hitting. They don’t need Dempster. Other than Kemp and Either, they have nothing. With those 2 out, it is a whole lineup of nothing.
mustache101
Maybe the dodgers are calling the crew about Corey hart he should be appealing to buying teams in need of a bat and he has another year left on his deal
Javier Mejia
The dodgers pitching is fine, not great, they still do need a true number 2, im tired of bills! I would consider a justin m. from the twins if hes available, or a upgrade at lf or 1b. The dodgers need a middle of the order bat real bad. kemp isnt enough and Ethier for some reason is over rated by so much hes not a big bat, on a great team he shouldnt be your second power bat, maybe 3rd or 4th.
UnknownPoster
So lets guess who they are talking about:Cubs: Dempster, LaHair, Soriano possibly Astros: Lee, WandyBrewers: Hart, Greinke(?)Mariners: only one I can think of is FelixRoyals: ??Twins: Mourneau, WillinghamJays: E.E., Lind?Padres: HeadleyAny guesses on Royals? and I’d think the Dodgers would target offense, but who knows
lefty177
My guess for Royals is Francoeur & Broxton
setupunchtag
and possibly Mijares.